Mature On and Off The Ice

"I am not superstitious!" he hollered as he exited the locker room following the game. The door didn't swing shut before he heard the responding hoots of laughter from his teammates.

Scowling, he turned away and jerked his ball cap further down on his head. The small figure of a woman halted him before he could stalk away in a huff. Instantly the scowl faded from his face and his tense muscles relaxed. She merely quirked a dark eyebrow at him and turned away.

"Wait a minute!" he called and laughed when she didn't stop; in fact, she picked up her pace. He quickly caught up with her, his longer legs easily eating up the distance she'd tried to put between them. "Why are you running away from me, Amelia?" he asked as he drew alongside her.

"Am I running?" she replied, a response that exasperated him even as it kept the smile on his face.

"No, not by my standards," he agreed.

"Oh, what was that?" she asked as she stopped and turned to face him. "Was that a crack about my height? Really? Is that all you've got?"

He just grinned and, heedless of the onlookers, he caught her in his arms, silencing her with a kiss. She bent against him, yielding to his arms and he savored her sigh as they parted. She grumbled at him as he released her and turned to continue stalking away from him. He threw a sheepish grin at the men and women standing by observing, but after all these weeks, most of them were used to the sight of Amelia arguing with the captain.

He jogged to catch up to Amelia again, but he reached her just as they both approached the curtain leading to the press area. She stopped short of going out there, still not used to the media firestorm that followed her boyfriend around. He looked down at her with a smile, hoping it was enough to placate her.

"Is this going to take long?" she asked, jerking her chin towards the curtain separating them from the press corps.

"Why are you in such a hurry tonight?" he asked, moving closer so that loomed over her; something he knew she both enjoyed and disliked.

She tilted her head back and fixed her emerald gaze on his face. Not for the first time, he felt his heart speed up and found himself short of breath. Without saying anything, she reached up and cupped his cheek, drawing his face down close to hers.

"I'm in a hurry to get you alone, Sean Carson," she murmured and abruptly released him, walking away.

He stared after her, feeling his face flush and cursing her silently for leaving him like that right before facing the reporters.

Oh, he'd get his revenge later.

Even though she knew about and understood the attention he received in his position, Amelia still found it difficult to be around him. She had dealt with the initial flurry over their relationship and as the weeks passed, and most people realized she wasn't just a hockey groupie, they mostly left her alone. She was doubly glad now that she had maintained her pen name and managed to keep her professional life separate from her personal life. Even her family had backed off after she'd repeatedly told them they had nothing to worry about.

After leaving Sean to face the reporters, Amelia walked around and stood behind the press corps, watching with a tiny smile as Sean took his seat. It was now past Christmas and everyone was already starting to talk about the playoffs.

As she watched and listened, Amelia was impressed yet again with the way Sean handled the press. He spoke clearly and sounded sure of himself, pausing occasionally to give extra thought before replying to a question. It was obvious how much the press enjoyed talking to him. Amelia knew they'd lost the game, a game against a team they'd soundly defeated on many previous match-ups. Still, Sean remained calm and didn't get upset by some of the more pointed questions.

Then someone broached the topic of their relationship and Sean was, for the first time, abrupt.

"Sean, can you tell us if your guests in the crowd tonight may have affected your game?" someone asked.

Amelia desperately wanted to shrink away to nothing. She despised questions about her or about the two of them being together. She didn't think she could ever get used to being a topic for press conferences.

Sean shrugged the question off, saying that he and the other players didn't really see the crowd. They played the game and tried to focus as best as they could.

At last, the reporters released him and Sean all but ran from them. Amelia would have laughed had she not been standing alone. Instead she covered her mouth with her hand and turned away before they all spotted her. She didn't want to face any questions after that interview. She hurried away, keeping her face carefully neutral and trying to look just like any other fan.

"Gotcha!" someone hissed in her ear as a familiar strong hand closed around her arm.

She couldn't stop the shriek of surprise at Sean's sudden appearance. He laughed out loud, completely unbothered by the people looking their way.

"You jerk!" she yelped and whirled around to punch him in the shoulder as hard as she could.

"Go easy on him, Lia," someone called as he walked by.

Amelia turned to see Max Tournet, one of Sean's teammates walk by. He was grinning and winked at her as she faced him.

"He's had a rough night already," Max added. "You should get him home and rub some A5-35 into his joints."

"How about you rub this, Max?" Sean replied, making a rude gesture at his teammate.

Max laughed and walked away with a wave.

Amelia turned and smacked Sean again. He looked down at her with a wounded expression on his face and Amelia sighed. They both knew she couldn't stay upset with him when he gave her that look. He saw her relenting and that knee-quivering grin spread across his face, making Amelia feel short of breath.

"Your place tonight?" He drew her close and tucked her against his side.

Amelia felt her face flush hot and looked away. She walked alongside him, loving the way he slowed his pace and shortened his strides to accommodate her. She also loved the way he smelled after coming out of the locker room; a tangy mixture of sweat and fresh soap and man. If she was being honest with herself, she was head over heels for this young hockey star.

They walked quietly out to the parking lot and her car. After the first couple weeks of trailing after the team to their games, Amelia had decided it might be a good investment to find a place to live in Pittsburgh and buy a car of her own. She had enough money in her savings to take care of that and come summer, she'd figure something else out. Neither of them had touched on that subject yet; her, because she was afraid of where the conversation might lead them, and him, because he didn't like to talk about anything beyond the regular season. Which reminded her about something.

"So what was all that about when you came out of the locker room?" she asked as she drove through the streets away from the arena.

"What do you mean?"

"When you came out of the locker room, you were shouting something about superstition," Amelia elaborated and glanced sideways at him.

Sean sighed and lifted his cap to scrub a hand through his dark hair. "Oh, it was nothing. The guys were just giving me a hard time."

"Sean, everyone knows that you're the most superstitious guy on the team," she said with a laugh. "There's nothing wrong with that."

Sean looked over at her and lifted his eyebrows. "What do you mean, 'everyone?'"

"I mean everyone," she repeated. "You get the questions often enough in your interviews, I'm sure. Even I knew that and I didn't even recognize you the first time we met."

He chuckled and leaned over, stroking her cheek with one hand before planting a kiss there. "Well, that's because you were stunned by my incredible good looks and unadulterated charm."

"Hmm, that must have been it," she agreed, tilting her head and smiling when he trailed kisses down her neck.

They didn't make it back to her apartment fast enough for her. With Sean leaning against her and his kisses getting hotter, she was just about ready to pull over and climb into his lap on the side of the freeway. Somehow she managed to push him away long enough to pull into the underground parking lot of her apartment building and she bolted from the car before he could get a real hold on her. Laughing, he jumped out and raced behind her to the elevators. She grinned and punched the button for her floor, holding him at arm's length while they rode up.

"What are you doing, Lia?" he asked, using the nickname the team had given her after they'd all met.

"I'm keeping you away from me until we're alone," she said.

He raised his eyebrows at her and glanced around the empty elevator. She laughed and smacked him on the arm.

"Don't give me that look," she told him, trying to sound stern but melting under his heated gaze. "If I've learned anything from being your girlfriend, it's that there are eyes everywhere."

"Hmm," he murmured with a mischievous grin that did the oddest things to Amelia's inner workings. "I kind of like the sound of that."

Luckily, the doors of the elevator opened and Amelia ducked under Sean's arm, running down the hall for her apartment. She didn't know why she bothered trying to run from him anymore. He could catch her no matter where she went.

His arms closed around her from behind as she fumbled with her keys, trying to unlock the door. When his hands met the bare skin of her stomach she moaned and dropped the keys. It was a familiar scene, repeated many times, all starting with that first afternoon at her hotel in Tampa. This time, she braced herself and dug an elbow back into his ribs.

He fell back a step with a groan and glared half-heartedly at her. She glared right back, stooping quickly to pick up her keys.

"You're mean when you're horny."

She laughed and turned away before she could betray herself by just jumping into his arms. "Stop whining," she replied and managed to unlock the door, pushing it open with one hand. "I'll make it up to you, Kid."

His face relaxed into a grin and Amelia felt her blood begin to pound in earnest all through her body. She backed into her apartment, keeping her gaze on his beautiful hazel eyes and trying hard not to hyperventilate. Even after all this time, he could undo her with a single look.

She recalled how she'd once wondered if he showed as much focus and determination in the bedroom as he did on the ice.

Did he ever.

"You know, that reminds me," he said in a low voice as he followed her inside her apartment. He paused, turning to shut and lock the door.

"What?" she asked breathlessly, still backing away from him. As she moved, she tossed her purse down on the floor, heedless of where it landed, and dropped her coat as well. All the while, Sean pursued her, his face intent even as he removed his own jacket.

"You gave me a hard-on right before sending me out to face the press tonight," he told her as they made their way down the hall to her bedroom. "I owe you for that."

"Oh," she breathed and laughed until she felt her back connect with the door frame to her bedroom. She'd seriously misjudged the distance to the room and Sean took complete advantage, moving in fast to pin her against the door frame. "You don't have to thank me, Sean."

"I'm not thanking you," he replied before lowering his head and stroking his tongue teasingly over her lower lip.

She sighed, letting her mouth fall open under his but he didn't kiss her. He pulled back and stared down at her, his eyes darkening with each passing moment. She felt her knees begin to shake. How could he do this to her? It still amazed her every time she finally got him all to herself.

"I'm punishing you," he said and dropped a light kiss on her lips.

"Well, so far it doesn't feel like punishment," she replied tartly and shrieked when his hands dropped to her jeans, jerking sharply on the waist. The move brought their hips together, or rather, as close together as they could be given the difference in their heights.

"I'm just getting started," he assured her as his fingers worked the button free. A second later, he had the zipper open and his hand was sliding down under her panties.

Biting her lip, Amelia rested her head back against the door frame and squeezed her eyes shut. His fingers slid through her crisp, dark curls and stroked her wet center. She moved her right leg half a step to the side, opening herself up to him. He pressed his lips to her throat, lapping at her skin with his tongue as he pulled his fingers away from her.

It was beginning to feel like a punishment now.

She lifted her hands and wrapped them around his shoulders, holding him against her as he continued to run his tongue up and down her neck. His hands were gripping her hips and she was throbbing for him, aching to feel his hands on her again. She got her wish when his fingers danced across the skin exposed by her open jeans. Her breathing sped up as his fingers found and pushed down the elastic waist of her panties. She was practically panting in anticipation when he stroked her again but, just as she felt him slide a finger between her swelling lips, he withdrew again.

Growling low in her throat, she dug her fingers into his shoulders. He chuckled and lifted his head from her neck, keeping his face close to hers. She looked into his dark eyes, swallowing hard at the blatant desire she saw reflected there.

"Are you feeling punished yet?" he asked and Amelia was almost relieved to hear the huskiness in his voice.

At least she wasn't the only one affected by this.

She nodded, not speaking out loud. His face split into that boyish grin that she adored and she felt the responding smile spread across her face.

"Good," he breathed and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her at last, really kissing her.

She moaned and let her mouth fall open, sliding her tongue against his as he pushed into her mouth. His hands were tight on her hips and his body pressed closer to hers until he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off her feet. She laughed as he spun her around and carried her into the bedroom, walking her over until she felt the edge of the bed connect with her calves. Then they were toppling over and he was lying on top of her, still kissing her hard.

She held him close, loving the way his broad weight felt against her body. She spread her legs, cradling him against her overheated center and he shifted over her, lifting one leg as he rolled to the side, using his knee to nudge her legs further apart. His hand moved from her waist to push under her jeans and underwear again and this time, he wasn't teasing her. He cupped her moist center and pushed a finger up and inside of her.

She gasped and broke the kiss, pressing her head back against the bed, squeezing his shoulders as he played with her. He moved his lips over her cheek and down the column of her throat, licking her, leaving wet, swirling patterns on her skin. She turned her head to the side to let him taste her. Still his hand played with her, stroking one finger, then two inside of her. He twisted his hand, bending his thumb to brush her clit. She bucked against him, feeling her body tighten with each stroke of his hand.

"That's it," he murmured against her skin. "God, I love how you feel."

She couldn't speak. He just kept stroking her inside, rubbing her and making her burn all over. Her mind turned to jelly, just as it always did when he touched her this way. He pulled his hand away, moving to tug at the waist of her jeans until he was pulling her jeans and underwear right off. She tilted her chin down, smiling at him as he yanked her socks off as well, tossing them over the side of the bed. He grinned before leaning over her, bracing himself with his hands on either side of her head.

He lowered his head, brushing his nose along the side of hers, breathing deeply before letting their lips brush together fleetingly. She sighed, wanting more. She reached up and cupped the back of his head, pulling him down. Her strength was no match for his and she made a sound of disappointment when he resisted her tug.

"Patience, Lia," he murmured, kissing her cheek and then the tip of her nose.

She pouted and lifted her knees, holding him between her thighs. He just grinned and pulled at her shirt, lifting it up and over her head. She obliged, letting him go so he could pull the shirt off. His hands dropped to her bra-covered breasts and she sighed happily as he brushed his thumbs over the taut tips. He lowered his head and dropped kisses along her collarbone, licking as her pulse jumped beneath the skin. He reached up and slid the straps of her bra over her shoulders and took hold of the band around her torso. With a quick jerk, he pulled the bra up and over her head, tossing it aside with the rest of her clothes. She laughed as he did; he'd never been able to figure out the bra clasp.

He ignored her laugh and lowered himself until he could close his lips over one puckered nipple. Sighing, Amelia held him there, sliding her fingers through his silky dark hair, loving the feel of it. He sucked hard on her nipple for a second and she gasped, arching into his mouth. He stilled her movement with a hand on her stomach that swiftly moved south and pressed between her legs.

As he slid his mouth across her chest to her other breast, his fingers separated the damp folds between her legs and she felt her entire body unhinge. He felt so good in her arms, leaning against her and doing such amazing things with his mouth and hands. It still gave her a thrill to have these hands on her body; skilled hands that won hockey games and broke NHL records.

But it wasSean doing this to her, not the captain of the team.

He pushed a finger inside of her and she made a strangled sound as he coupled the move with a stroke over her swollen clit. She writhed under him, clutching at his shoulders as he moved up to kiss her throat. Then his mouth met hers, swallowing her long, loud cry as she came in his arms. He continued to kiss her, letting his tongue glide over and around hers, teasing her relentlessly as she bucked her hips against his hand. At length, he pulled his hand away, smoothing his palm up over her stomach until he was gently cupping one breast, brushing his thumb over the erect nipple.

She smiled lazily up at him and touched her fingertips to his cheek. "Well, this is hardly fair," she murmured, her voice hoarse.

"What is?" he asked, his beautiful hazel eyes sparkling.

"Here I am, all naked and feeling properly punished," she said, gesturing at herself with one hand. "And there you are, fully clothed."

"I can fix that," he said and sat up on his knees, pulling his shirt off over his head, revealing his toned and muscular chest to her.

Biting her lip, she lifted her hands and rubbed her palms over the taut skin covering his torso. He grinned down at her and she felt heat rush into her face but she didn't care. She explored his body and he let her, remaining still as she moved her hands lower, hooking her fingers in the waist of his jeans. She toyed with the button at the top of his zipper and looked up at him through her lashes as she brushed the backs of her fingers against his skin. He swallowed and the smile was gone from his face, replaced by that entirely focused look that she loved.

Still feeling playful, Amelia dropped one hand to cup him through his jeans, biting back a groan at the erection she felt straining beneath his clothes. She rubbed him once, twice and then stopped when he laid a hand over hers.

"Who's punishing who now?" he asked, his voice hoarse with desire.

She shrugged, an impish smile on her face. "I guess it's mutual."

"It certainly is," he agreed and dropped to his side on the bed, pulling her over top of him as he went.

She lay across his chest, palms pressed against him and hair sliding over her shoulders. He lifted one hand, brushing it back and cupping her cheek with one hand. Smiling, she leaned down and kissed him, undoing the button at the waist of his jeans and reaching inside. He jerked against her hand when she reached his hardened cock and she smiled against his lips.

"You're killing me, Lia," he murmured, throwing an arm across his eyes and groaning as she circled him with her fingers, giving him a long, slow stroke.

She smirked and withdrew her hand, watching the way the muscles in his stomach tensed as she did. She took hold of the waist of his jeans and underwear, tugging them down over his hips. He rolled and shifted with her, helping her to slide the last of his clothes off. Then she practically leapt on top of him, spreading her entire naked body over his.

He reached down and grabbed her thigh, dragging it up over his body until she had her knees on either side of him. Then he reached between them, finding and stroking her soaking center as she moaned, closing her eyes and pressing her forehead to his. He tilted his chin up and kissed her, licking her lips before pressing his tongue inside her mouth. She angled her head over his, bracing herself on her elbows and kissing him back as his hand continued to fondle her.

She thrust her hips against his hand over and over, pressing her body down until he had to pull his hand away. Her soaking and over sensitive core came in contact at last with all his hard length. They both sighed together and she moved her hips again, sliding her wet lips all along his cock. He dropped his hands to take hold of her, pushing up with his hips.

"Sean," she breathed against his lips, inhaling his scent as she brushed a hand over his chest.

Reaching down between their bodies, she wrapped her hand around his erection and pushed the tip back and forth against her hole. He groaned, his fingers digging into her skin and she lifted her head, wanting to look into his eyes as she took him inside of her. He blinked his eyes open, meeting her gaze with his cloudy hazel eyes and she sank down around him. They both sucked in a breath and she braced herself against his chest as he moved within her.

God, how Amelia loved to feel him moving inside of her. He was so strong, moved so smoothly against her, making her feel so full. She clenched her hands into fists as he moved one hand up to squeeze her breast, gently pinching a nipple between his thumb and forefinger. His other hand stroked her thigh in time to their movements together. He stroked from her thigh all the way up her body until he was holding the side of her neck. He pulled her down and kissed her. She melted against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and laying her body against his.

Swiftly, he rolled them over, pressing her down into the bed and pushing up between her legs. She lifted her hips, meeting his thrusts and kissing him passionately. Their tongues tangled and their bodies slapped together. Sean stroked her side with one hand, holding himself up with his other arm. He rubbed his palm down over her ribs and waist until he hooked his hand around her knee, bending it and drawing her leg up along his side. His next thrust went deeper than before and she gasped, trembling all over.

"Sean," she whispered his name again.

At the sound of his name on her lips, he began to move faster. Amelia pulled on his neck, drawing him down to her until he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Their bodies slid together, moving in time, their sweat mingling. Amelia lifted her hips, meeting his body as he pounded against her. Her trembling body tensed and then she wailed into his mouth, coming apart as she climaxed. Sean moved faster, pushing hard and deep as she rode the wave and a moment later he was coming as well, groaning against her throat, his breath hot and damp against her skin.

A little while later, when their hearts were still racing, Sean rolled off of her, planting a kiss on her temple. She rolled with him, tucking herself against his side and sighing happily when his arms tightened around her.

The night closed in around them and they drifted off to a relaxed and contented sleep together.

Sean held Amelia close as she slept, going over their strange conversation in his mind. It hadn't reached a conclusion, not that he was complaining about what sidetracked them both. He was beginning to feel the pressure of the season and his outburst after leaving the locker room that night had just been one of many to come, he was sure. His teammates liked to give him a hard time about his habits and routines and following tonight's loss, he didn't take it as well as he usually did.

Still, he felt infinitely better after just being with Amelia. She soothed him and made him feel normal for a change. He didn't have to deal with the glare of the camera flashes or the questions when he was alone with her. The guys on the team knew that too, which was why they'd ceased teasing him about her at a very early stage in their relationship.

He'd ended up being more nervous about introducing her to the team than he'd been about exposing her to the media. After a couple weeks, the media moved on but the team took a little longer to warm up to her. Sean was certain that many of them were just worried about how she might affect his game. Nothing changed; he skated and put his best effort forward. They won some, and they lost some. When Amelia baked them cupcakes and cookies that she stashed in their locker room as a surprise following a game in late December, she won them over completely. Max had even started to call her on the phone, whether they were on the road or at home. Sean was seriously regretting persuading her to get a cell phone.

All in all, Amelia fit into his life like he'd never expected anyone to. It scared the hell out of him. Maybe that's why he'd reacted a little strongly to the guys' good-natured ribbing about his superstitions.

Sighing, he pressed another kiss to Amelia's forehead and smiled when she murmured something unintelligible in her sleep. Then he settled down next to her before drifting off.

The game wasn't until later that evening but Sean was busy at his morning skate, so Amelia walked with her laptop to the Starbucks nearest to her apartment. She smiled to herself as she stood in line, trying to look inconspicuous. It wasn't often that she was recognized but she tried not to take any chances. This was the first morning in a while that she'd be able to sit down with her computer and just write.

She had been enjoying her time traveling with Sean and she definitely loved getting to know his teammates and friends. She was glad they seemed to like her and when her cell phone started vibrating in her jacket pocket, she laughed.

"Hello, Max," she said, without looking at the caller display.

"How'd you know it was me, Lia?" Max's accented voice came over the line.

"Lucky guess," she replied. "Shouldn't you be at practice?"

"I am, but Sean left his phone unattended on the bench so I thought I'd see who he's been calling," Max told her. Amelia noticed he was breathing hard and realized the noise in the background was the familiar cut of skates over the ice and shouts of the team. A shout reached her ear, more familiar to Amelia than all the others.

"Oh shit, I think he's seen me now!" Max said and laughed as Sean's voice grew louder. "Did he tell you that he's been calling some chick named Tanya every day?" He rushed to say the words before Sean reached him.

"Put my phone down, you jackass!" Sean shouted and from the sound of it, Amelia guessed he was right next to Max.

There was the sound of a scuffle and then Max yelped right before a loud snap sounded in Amelia's ear. She jerked the phone away from her head and glared at it, ignoring the strange looks she was getting from the other patrons in the Starbucks. She brought the phone back to her ear but the call had ended. Sighing, she shook her head and tucked the phone back into her pocket. Sean would call her back, or maybe Max would again. She wasn't concerned about Max's last comment either; Tanya was Sean's mother.

After ordering her latte at the counter, she settled at a table, pulling her laptop out and powering up. She went on-line first, checking her email as she sipped her latte. She scanned the familiar junk mail and deleted the majority of emails in her inbox before spotting a new message from someone she didn't regularly hear from; her brother, Jason.

Smiling, she clicked on the email to read it, thinking he'd be updating her on the upcoming birth of his second child in the summer. Her smile faded as each word registered in her mind. Her heart stuttered in her chest and she swallowed, the taste of the latte turning to bile in her mouth. She slammed the lid of her laptop down and barely managed to slide it into her carry case before bolting from her table and the coffee shop.

Within an hour she had her bag packed and was in the back of a taxi heading for the airport.

When practice ended, and after Sean had let Max know just how happy he was that his teammate had broken his phone, he hurried out of the arena to meet up with Amelia as they'd planned that morning. As he drove down the street, he whistled to himself, thinking again how lucky he was to have someone like Amelia in his life. He headed to his own place first to change and check his messages since he couldn't use his cell.

There were a few messages; one from Max giving him a hard time about his phone and one from his dad about a road trip game he'd be traveling to see. The last one was a rather garbled, hasty message from Amelia. Sean frowned as he listened to it and hit the button to replay it again.

"Sean, it's me," she began, her voice strained. "I won't be able to meet you later. I'm sorry... I've got to go... home. My brother... he said dad's not doing so great. I don't know. I guess I'll try and call you... later. I don't know if you'll get this message. Don't try to call me. I'm catching the first flight home that I can. I'll call later." A pause, as though she was about to hang up, and then, "Oh, I mailed my apartment and car keys to your place. I didn't have time to see you. Can you take care of things for me?" Another pause. "I'll call. I don't... I don't know when I'll be back. Bye."

Sean stared at his phone incredulously for a long minute after listening to her message yet again. So something had happened to her dad; he could understand her taking off to be with the family. Why would she say she wasn't coming back? And what the hell was he supposed to do with her apartment and car?

Hanging up, he quickly dialed her cell phone, hoping that she hadn't boarded the plane yet. She'd called and left that message just a few minutes after Max had broken his phone. The line rang several times before she picked up.

"Jason?" she said briskly instead of 'hello.'

"No, it's Sean," he replied. "Are you all right?"

"I don't know," she sounded extremely upset and if she wasn't crying, she must be on the verge. "Jason emailed me and said my dad collapsed on a job site and was rushed to the hospital."

"Oh, Amelia," Sean breathed, his heart aching for her. He heard her sniffle and clenched his free hand into a fist. He desperately wanted to be standing next to her so he could hold her close.

"I left you a message. Did you get it?"

"Yeah, that's why I'm calling," he replied. "Where are you?"

"I'm at the airport. My flight leaves in a little bit."

"Do you want me to come?"

"No, don't," she said sharply. "You've got a game tonight. I don't want you stuck in traffic because of me."

"Amelia, if you want me to be there with you, I'll come," Sean said patiently, hurt that she'd told him 'no.' "If I'm late to warm-up, then I'm late."

She laughed a little shakily. Sean swept up his car keys and was walking for the front door without even thinking about it. He needed to see her and give her what comfort he could. She sounded so torn up, being so far from her family while her dad was hurt.

"I'll be OK," she said, stopping him as he was putting his shoes on. "Don't come here, Sean. I'm boarding in less than ten minutes now and you'd never make it."

"Amelia-"

"Besides, this town is just starting to warm up to me," she cut him off before he could say anything else. "I'd hate to turn them against me because you missed a game. The team needs you more than I do."

Sean didn't know what to say. He felt torn. Coach would have his hide if he was late for warm-up but he ached to be at Amelia's side. In the end, common sense won out; there was literally no way for him to make it to the airport before she left.

"All right," he murmured. "Will you call me when you get home? Let me know that you're all right?"

"I'll try," she replied.

"Lia..." he began but didn't know what he was going to say. "I-"

"I have to go, Sean," she said and hung up before he could say another word.

He stared at the phone in his hand, bracing himself against the doorway with his other hand and felt like he'd just had the rug pulled out from under his feet. His throat worked around a sudden thickness and his eyes stung.

She'll call, he told himself as he clicked the 'off' button on his phone.

He wondered how he'd make it through the game tonight without her nearby.

Amelia glanced up as she ended the call and sniffled yet again. A few people glanced her way but other than a few curious looks, no one disturbed her. She felt horribly guilty for how she'd spoken to Sean and couldn't understand why she'd lied to him about the flight. The earliest flight going anywhere near her hometown wasn't leaving for another four hours. Plenty of time for him to have made it to the airport to see her off. Still, she just couldn't bring herself to admit that she wanted him there.

Sighing heavily, she hefted the bag higher on her shoulder and made her way through the airport to her gate.

Her brother met her on the other end, picking her up at the airport and driving them both to the hospital where their father was located. Along the way, Jason explained the situation and Amelia felt some of the tension ease out of her body.

Apparently it was a minor stroke. A few years ago he'd had some heart problems that led to an angioplasty; basically the step doctors take to prevent an actual heart attack. However, due to all the medication and the continuing issues with his cholesterol, he was still susceptible to blood clots. This time, a blood clot had passed somewhere through his body, most likely in a vein leading to his brain, causing him to pass out. He'd collapsed, hitting his head and twisting his knee.

"The doctor's are keeping him in the hospital for a couple days for monitoring but they're very optimistic," Jason concluded.

Amelia leaned back against her seat and squeezed her eyes shut. She breathed deeply through her nose and tried to calm the pounding of her heart. She'd been on high alert since reading Jason's email almost ten hours before. It was late at night now, even in Winnipeg, and she was exhausted. "I'm so relieved," she whispered.

Jason reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. She opened her eyes and glanced over at her brother, giving him a weak smile.

"Dad will be sleeping when we get there but you can see him," Jason told her. "Mom's there, waiting for us."

"Where's Sandra?"

"She stayed home with Aiden," Jason replied, referring to his wife and son.

"God, Jason, when I saw your email I just about threw up," Amelia confessed a moment later.

"I'm sorry to have made you panic," Jason said with a light laugh. "I wrote you when it first happened and then I didn't get a chance to write or call again until after you left the message that you were coming."

Amelia sighed and shook her head, patting her brother's hand in return.

"I wouldn't have thought you'd rush home," Jason commented.

"Why not? You said Dad was in the hospital. What did you expect me to do?"

"I don't know," Jason shrugged and glanced sideways at her. "Weren't you on the road with Sean?"

Amelia directed a pointed glare in his direction and he had the good sense to flush and avert his eyes. She didn't say anything for a long moment and then she rested her head back again. "They're playing at home tonight," she said quietly. "Don't you follow the schedule at all?"

"Of course I do," Jason replied around a laugh. "I just like to bug you."

"Save it. I'm not in the mood."

"Dad's going to be fine, Amelia."

"I know, that's not what I-" she began but stopped herself abruptly.

"What?" Jason asked. When Amelia didn't say anything, he chuckled and squeezed her thigh. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll understand."

"You do know who we're talking about don't you?"

"Not really," Jason replied mildly. "Your boyfriend, I'm assuming?"

"You know what? We won't talk about it anymore if you're going to be like that."

"Oh geez, I was just kidding, Amelia," Jason said.

Amelia remained silent. She was tired, cranky and now felt guilty for taking off with barely a word to Sean. He deserved better than that. Then she wondered why she felt so guilty. Was it because she'd left? Or because she'd planned on not returning?

"I wouldn't worry about Sean," Jason broke the silence a couple minutes later, just as they were pulling into the underground parkade of the hospital.

"No?" Amelia replied quietly.

"I don't think he's as superstitious as everyone says he is. He'll be fine without you for a few games."

"What about the rest of the games?" Amelia asked, a question her brother had no answer for.

Cringing as he came off the ice following another shift, Sean tried to avoid meeting his coach's gaze. But Coach zeroed in on the young player and gave him a quiet, but pointed, talking to as he took his seat on the bench. Sean didn't need to hear it. He knew exactly what was going wrong out there and he was struggling to turn himself around, but something was off. He felt it and it scared him.

Have I lost my touch already? he wondered as he swallowed some water. He shook his head and shot to his feet a second later, shouting as a teammate sailed past on the ice.

It wasn't about his touch or even what was happening in the game tonight. The team was winning by a comfortable two-goal lead. Everyone was meshing and coming together to make up for the enormous gap Sean was leaving on the ice. He was lucky. Another night or two like this and they wouldn't be so lucky.

He would have to push his worries about Amelia and her family out of his mind for the night. The team needed him and he needed to focus. The whistle blew and he was on his feet, skating out to play another shift.

When they hit the road, Sean could honestly say that he wasn't looking forward to it. Playing games away from their home arena was always difficult, but there was at least a sense of adventure and a challenge when they left for a five or six game road trip. Without knowing how Amelia was doing, and wondering if she'd ever be joining him on the road, Sean was left feeling upset and lost.

The other guys noticed but wisely said nothing about it. After the initial questions about where she was, they didn't bring it up. Max asked once or twice if Sean had even heard from her about her flight. Wen Sean merely shook his head and looked away, the other player left him alone.

Sean was genuinely worried for her and more than a little hurt that she hadn't even called to say she'd arrived safely in Winnipeg. He wondered if her father was all right and how she was holding up if he wasn't OK. It was starting to affect his game.​